2010 Media Releases

Bids For City Public Works Projects Below Cost Estimates

Mayor Chris Beutler today said bids for the City street projects funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act are about 22 percent below the State cost estimates. "The bids have been very close to each other, indicating that the plans were clear, and the environment is ripe for the City to receive good value for its dollar," said Mayor Beutler. "These stimulus dollars will ripple throughout the local economy as work begins and new jobs are created. At the same time, we'll all see the benefits of 20 miles of major street rehabilitation throughout the community."

Work on the Superior Street Bridge over Salt Creek is scheduled to begin later this month. Other stimulus-funded projects scheduled for construction this year include the following:

Adams Street from 57th to 62nd streets

"A" Street from 63rd to 70th streets and 70th to Imperial streets

Van Dorn from Normal to 70th streets

"O" Street from 29th to 44th streets and Wedgewood to 84th streets

In February 2009, the City was awarded about $9.3 million in stimulus funding for streets and roads. Beutler added $6.9 million in local street funds for a combined roads package of about $16.2 million. The Mayor chose to use the funds for street rehabilitation instead of new construction to meet the one-year stimulus time frame and "get more bang for the buck" – the City can rehabilitate 7.8 miles of streets for the same cost as building one mile of new four-lane road.

Mayor Beutler thanked the City Public Works and Utilities Department, the Nebraska Department of Roads and the Federal Highway Administration for their work to move the projects forward.

The Mayor said bids for other non-stimulus-funded Public Works and Utilities projects also are coming in well under bid. The projects, scheduled to begin in late March or early April, include the following: